1. Field of Invention:
This invention relates to short range communication devices, processes and systems. More particularly, the invention relates to short range devices, processes and systems utilizing radio frequency identification systems for shorter user identification and session setup time for interactive services.
2. Description of Prior Art:
Bluetooth® is a short-range wireless communication system operating at 2.4 GHz and designed to establish connection between two or more devices operating within a ten-meter communication range, for nominal output power, but can be extended up to 100 meters for 100 mW-output power. The details of Bluetooth are described in “The Bluetooth Special Interest Group, Specification Of The Bluetooth System, Volumes 1 and 2, Core and Profiles: Version 1.1, 22nd Feb., 2001, which are fully incorporated herein by reference. To discover another Bluetooth terminal, an inquiry message is transmitted searching for other devices in the vicinity. Any other Bluetooth terminal that is listening by means of conducting an inquiry scan, will recognize the inquiry message and respond. The inquiry response is a message packet containing the responding devices Bluetooth terminal Address (BD_ADDR). The Bluetooth terminal address is a unique, 48-bit IEEE address, which is electronically engraved into each Bluetooth terminal. The address is virtually guaranteed to be completely unique, so much so that it can be reliably associated with the device's user, much as can the user's passport number or social security number. One of the problems of Bluetooth terminals is the long time required for discovery of a Bluetooth terminal, which can be up to 10 seconds. In many applications, the device discovery time is too long and restricts the usage of Bluetooth, particularly for interactive services.
Radio Frequency Identification (RF-ID) is a wireless system that automatically identifies tracks and manages objects via a fast connection between the object and a RF-ID reader. RF-ID principles are described in a publication entitled “Radio Frequency Identification—RF-ID: A Basic Primer”, published by the Automatic Identification Manufacturers (AIM) web site (http: //www.aimglobal.org), Oct. 23, 2001 and fully incorporated herein by reference. The object includes a transponder, active or passive, which when in the presence of an electromagnetic zone created by the reader broadcasts an object identity signal. The reader senses and decodes the broadcast signal to identify the object. The object identity is achieved by a connectionless communication that is a connection without a logical connection between the reader and the object. However, the RF-ID reader can not conduct interactive sessions between the object and the reader.
What is needed in the art is a Bluetooth terminal having shortened terminal discovery and user identification time via a connectionless connection to another terminal or access point using RF-ID, the terminal or access point establishing a session enabling the terminal to conduct transactions with an interactive service application.
Prior art related to short range communication systems and RF-ID includes:
1. PCT Publication WO01/39108 A1 discloses a system that includes a mobile communication unit wherein a RF-ID identification module is added between the radio part and an antenna in a mobile telephone that includes a Bluetooth function. The module comprises a mixer for transposing identification messages from identification devices in a 2.45 GHz RF-D system of the backscatter type to a baseband for further processing in a computer part of the unit. The unit may communicate with a super ordinate system, via a standard call channel or Bluetooth channel. The unit is also cabled to send information to the identification devices for alerting or transmitting data, wherein modulation and encoding can be effected in accordance with the Bluetooth standard enabling the mixer to be included as an integral part of a standard Bluetooth radio.
2. PCT Publication WO01/45038 A2, published Jun. 21, 2001, discloses a short-range communication system includes an interrogator, which interrogates multiple transponders located on a person and receives information separately from the transponders. The interrogator and/or the transponders may be held in an article of clothing or in personal effects of the person. The system enables the close worn by a person to communicate with a plurality of items and to obtain useful information. The network system may be configured so that any particular transponder may communicate with another transponder or a group of transponders of other locals to activate functions; cause action to otherwise shared data and/or information.
3. PCT Publication WO01/45319 A1, published Jun. 21, 2001, discloses a first short-range radio link operating within a first link range. The first link is between a stationary unit and a mobile communication device in a wireless network where the stationary unit transmits an interrogation signal to the communication device, via a short-range communication link operating within a second link range, essentially smaller than the first link range. The mobile communication device receives the interrogation signal from the stationary unit and transmits a response signal, including a unique identification number of the mobile communication device to the interrogation signal. The stationary unit receives the response signal and authenticates the identification number. The stationary unit and the mobile communication device establish a connection, via the first short-range radio link.
None of the prior art discloses or suggests a Bluetooth terminal having a RF-ID identification for establishing a connectionless communication with a service application and conducting transactions with the application on a session basis where the connection time and user identification time are shortened relative to the standard Bluetooth terminal discovery process for conducting sessions.